ALBANY, New York (Reuters) – A New York State judge on Friday upheld an upstate community’s ban on gas drilling, marking the second victory in the space of a week for opponents of the controversial drilling method known as fracking.

The authority vested in towns and cities in New York to regulate use of their land extends to prohibitions on drilling, acting state Supreme Court Justice Donald Cerio ruled on Friday, dismissing arguments by a landowner who has already sold leases on almost 400 acres.

SUZUKA, Japan (Reuters) – Bridgestone motorsport boss Hiroshi Yasukawa enjoyed a trip down memory lane on Friday as Formula One’s official tyre supplier prepared for a home farewell after 14 seasons on the starting grid.

Recalling how he watched the first motorcycle race at the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit as a schoolboy in 1962, and then in later years came to rub shoulders with some of motor racing greatest champions, Yasukawa will clearly miss Formula One.

Recalling how he watched the first motorcycle race at the
Honda-owned Suzuka circuit as a schoolboy in 1962, and then in
later years came to rub shoulders with some of motor racing
greatest champions, Yasukawa will clearly miss Formula One.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Thailand’s finance minister said he has not seen foreign investors leaving the country despite recent political unrest, but acknowledged it would be natural for them to reconsider their investment destination or delay their plans.

But Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij stressed that Thailand was committed to making efforts to win back investor confidence.